


You Never Should Settle

by MaryLestrange



Series: Loathing [1]
Category: Black Friday - Team StarKid
Genre: Barnroe - Freeform, Cheerleaders, Enemies to Friends, F/F, High School, Linda's a cheerleader too, lots of bickering, mr. Davidson's wife Carol gets a mention, secret friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:20:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24015109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaryLestrange/pseuds/MaryLestrange
Summary: Linda and Becky are rivals ever since elementary school. They hate each other, always have. But, when they're in high school, they have to learn to work together for a common purpose.It's mostly them bickering a lot, if you like bickering idiots they're here.
Relationships: Becky Barnes & Linda Monroe, Becky Barnes/Linda Monroe
Series: Loathing [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1736767
Comments: 9
Kudos: 25





	You Never Should Settle

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: all my knowledge of american high schools and cheerleaders come from movies and series, so maybe this is not how cheerleaders work, but whatever.  
> Also, english is not my first language so any writing advices are appreciated. 
> 
> This is just a short little thing, nothing fancy, but I hope it's entertaining.

Linda was sitting on the empty bleachers of the school court, pompoms at her feet, she was the image of defeat with her elbows on the knees and face buried into her hands. The girl has never felt more humiliated in all the fourteen years of her life. She was so sure she would get to be Head Cheerleader! How could she not be? She was President of the Student Council, Homecoming Queen, and one of the most… no, _the_ most popular girl in school. 

Sure, there was Becky Barnes, that brat, she was almost as popular, and definitely better at cheering than Linda, although the blonde would never admit it out loud. But she has even taken care of that problem! Her plan to sabotage Becky's tryouts was flawless, and it worked perfectly. At least she was successful in getting the redhead out of the competition, and sure, she got a little joy out of that, but the joy became ashes in her mouth when she, too, ended up losing the audition. Now the Cheer Captain was that stupid Carol Madison, and Linda didn't like the feeling of losing. 

She didn't even move when she heard someone approaching and sitting by her side, not even when her peripheral vision caught the ginger ponytail, and a gust of wind brought the annoyingly sweet smell of Becky's perfume to her nose. 

"What do you want, Barnes?" Linda took her hands from her face, but didn't bother to look at her foe, instead just looking at the empty court.

"Just wanna talk…" the ginger started, but Linda liked to interrupt her, she knew that it annoyed her. 

"Don't you have any friends anymore?" she could almost hear Becky's eyes rolling. 

"Just listen, ok? So, we both lost this thing--"

"Oh, so you came to brag that your half-ass sabotage worked! Congrats, Barnes, is that what you wanted to hear?" the disdain in Linda's voice was clear as day. 

"I didn't come to brag! But the sabotage is part of what I wanted to say..." Becky was starting to get frustrated, and at this words Linda finally turned her head to look at her, her eyebrows raised in an expression of mock disbelief.

"Then you're here to confess your crime? If you really regret it, you should confess to the coach, you know?" this time she actually saw the girl rolling her light green eyes, and the exasperation in her face made Linda smile. Why was it so fun to belittle her? 

"What I'm _trying_ to say is that we spent so much time trying to sabotage each other--"

"I didn't sabotage you!" Linda's face was pure indignation, her hand going to her chest in a perfect act of pretending to be offended by that accusation. She could see Becky's face starting to turn red with frustration for being interrupted again.

"Yes, you did!" That was Becky Barnes, incapable of not pointing out the truth when she sees someone lying. 

"Please, as if I would need to stoop so low!" she flipped her hair, her voice in a disdainful tone.

"You did, I know you did! My sneakers soles didn't fall off on their own!" 

"Prove it, bitch." 

At this point, Becky's face was completely red with anger, her fists clenched, and she just opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, unable to find an answer to that. Linda had a devilish grin in her lips, just enjoying her power to anger that girl with nothing more than some words. Then, the redhead took a deep breath to try and resume to her point. 

"Ok, shut up and listen! We were so set on sabotaging each other that we forgot to focus on actually doing a good job at the test." 

"Speak for yourself, I was dead focused. Is not my fault that you're too stupid to do two things at once." 

"Oh my fucking God! It's impossible to talk to you like a rational person!" Becky looked about to burst with anger. 

"I know you have a hard time pretending to be rational, Becky, but you have to make an effort, I don't speak dumb." 

The redhead took another deep breath, rubbing the bridge of her nose for a second to calm down. She knew that getting angry only made Linda happy, and that was the last thing she wanted. "Are you done yet?" she managed to sound bored. 

"Belittling you? Nah, I could keep it all day." 

"Yeah, that's how much you love me." 

Linda did not see that coming, and her smug smile fell in a split second. "What? I don't--"

"Will you just shut up? I have a business arrangement to propose!" That took Linda's attention, and she crossed her legs, straightening her posture, and indicated with a wave of her hand for Becky to continue. The ginger girl had to repress a victorious smile for making her rival finally shut up. "So, what happened today was _not fair_. That whats-her-face doesn't have what it takes to be captain, and she would never have won if we haven't sabotaged each other."

"Well, duh! Thanks for stating the obvious." Linda rolled her eyes, bothered to be reminded of her defeat. 

"So I've been thinking--"

" _That's_ new!" 

"Fuck it. It's never gonna work, you're impossible!" Becky stood up and started to climb down the bleachers, giving up. 

"Where are you going, Barnes? I still didn't hear the business proposal." If there was one thing Linda hated more than losing, it was having people turning their backs to her as if she wasn't important. 

The ginger turned on her heels, giving Linda a cold, hateful stare. "If you interrupt me one more time, I'm walking away!"

"Ok, whatever." she clearly didn't like to agree with someone else's terms.

"My proposal is simple: we work together to take that bitch down from her post. Once she's out of the picture we compete again, no sabotage, fair and square, and may the best cheerleader win. What do you say?"

Linda let out a loud, high pitched laugh. "Work together? Did you forget I fucking hate you?" 

"Well, duh! Thanks for stating the obvious." Becky mimicked what she said earlier, making Linda's smile fade and be replaced by a cold stare. "I hate you too, you moron. That's why it's _business_ , we don't have to like each other for it."

Linda twisted her lips in a face of disgust, hating to be talked down like that. She hesitated for a second, analysing the girl in front of her from head to toe, considering her suggestion. With a sigh, she stood up as well, standing one step above Becky, so she looked taller than her for a change. "Fine, I agree. With one condition: no one can know we're working together. I don't wanna stain my reputation."

Becky rolled her eyes at the pretentious tone in the blonde's voice, starting to question if that really was a good idea, if she would have to learn to deal with that brat. Knowing it was too late to back off, she reached out her hand. "Deal." Linda shook it, both trying to stare down the other.

******

Working together with Becky Barnes to take down the Head Cheerleader was much more fun and exciting than Linda could have imagined. Not that she would ever admit it. She told herself it was the thrill of having a secret that made it fun. And sure, it was part of it. Hiding notes in each other's lockers, with ideas to dethrone Carol written in code, evading their friends after classes to make secret strategy meetings… those things made the plotting and scheming even more fun than it already was. But it wasn't everything. 

She wouldn't say it out loud, but Becky's company in itself was way more fun than Linda thought possible. Sure, they still bickered all the time, and got into each other's nerves like no one else. The redhead was so annoying, always trying to advocate for justice and fairness even when plotting to take a girl from a post she technically earned. Linda would always point out her hypocrisy, and every time that got them arguing. The thing was… arguing was so fun!

They were used to hating each other, it was like that since elementary school. Both were very bossy little girls, and they frequently ended up fighting, competing to lead the games in the playground. And, as childhood gave way to adolescence, the rivalry only grew stronger, with them competing for popularity and attention. So arguing with Becky was common place, and Linda always enjoyed making the ginger lose her composure. But now they had to work together, which meant they had to go past the arguments, they couldn't end with them pushing each other or leaving angrily anymore, they had to shrug it off at some point. 

This made way to them somewhat getting to know each other better, and it was surprising how similar they were in so many things. They had the same taste in music and movies, and it wasn't so bad to share their enthusiasm over it with someone who understood it. And, the weirdest thing, they kinda bonded over their family problems. Linda's mom was always too busy working to give her any attention aside from just giving her money and stuff, and her father only called on her birthdays, if he remembers. Becky's stepdad was a total asshole, and he and her mom would rather love and care for their children together than for the daughter of her first wedding. 

And it's not that the girls actually talked about it, it's just that most of their secret strategy meetings consisted of hanging out in each other's houses, and they just quietly understood each other. Then, they would always realise when the other one was a bit down because of it, and would be just a little less mean for a while. And, freakishly enough, this was the closer both girls had for a friendship, not that it was acknowledged by either of them, not even to themselves. 

At least, not until Linda's birthday. That day, when she opened her locker before the first class of the day, there was a little piece of paper on it that wasn't there before. By that point, she was already used to the system of shoving notes in each other's lockers, so the surprise only came when she read it. Written in the code they had made up, it wasn't any idea for their big plan, but just a short message: "Old chemistry lab, 20 minutes before class".

Linda furrowed her brow, pondering what to do. They never had strategy meetings at school, it was too dangerous. Could that be some kind of prank? She didn't think Becky was above pranking her, but would she compromise their secret for it? No, Barnes was weak and naive, but not stupid. She decided to go, and if things went sideways, she had plausible deniability at her side. 

The old chemistry lab was closed since it was basically exploded from the inside some years ago, for a gas leak that reacted with something or other, and it hasn't been restored since, so no one went there. It was a suspicious place, that some students used for shady purposes, and Linda made sure nobody saw her coming in. It was empty. She looked on her watch, checking that she was on time. She even waited two entire minutes, and nothing. 

"Fucking Barnes, I'll kill her." she mumbled to herself, angrily putting her backpack on her shoulders to leave.

Linda honestly didn't know what the hell she was expecting for that, but she certainly didn't think Becky would make the effort to write her a note just to make her stand alone in a room waiting for nothing. Was this her idea of funny or something? Just as she touched the door handle to leave, the door burst open, almost hitting her in the nose. 

"Watch it, asshole!" she shouted, even before seeing the unmistakable mass of auburn hair.

"Why the fuck were you standing just behind the door?" Becky retorted, getting in and closing the door. 

"I was leaving, you twat! You made me wait for two whole minutes, so this better be good. Unlike yours, my time is actually valuable." the blonde crossed her arms, making her usual disdainful face. 

"You're such a bitch, you know that? I don't even know why I bothered..." she reached inside her backpack, taking a little square and flat package, wrapped in a colorful paper. "Here, shove it up your ass!" she handed the package to Linda, who took it almost instinctively.

It was just then that the blonde realised what it was.

"Are you giving me a birthday gift, Barnes?" she was smiling despite of herself, so she tried to mask it as a scornful grin. 

"I figured it was appropriate since now we're… business patterns…" Becky looked down to her shoes for a second, almost sounding embarrassed, but she recovered her composure in a second. "But you're such an ungrateful brat that I guess I'll take it back!"

"Oh, don't you dare!" Linda quickly stepped back, getting out of the ginger's reach. She ripped off the wrapping paper, and her face went from a mild amusement to a wide and open grin. "Oh my God, it's the new NSYNC album! What the fuck, Barnes?"

"What? I know you like them." she tried to sound nonchalant, but Linda wasn't buying that attitude.

"It's been sold out since the day it arrived in the stores! How did you get it?" 

"Lucky, I guess." she shrugged, but both of them knew there was no luckily stumbling upon this. She had to have gotten out of her way somehow to buy it. 

Linda was used to gifts, she got them all the time and they hardly meant something. This was different. Becky had actually paid enough attention to know that was her favorite band and, more than that, gone through some considerable trouble just to give this to her. And they didn't even like each other! They didn't, did they? No, they loathed each other, and it may have been the most consistent and strong feeling they had for anyone, but it was still loathing. Right? And despite that, despite all logic or reason, Linda took her eyes away from her gift to look at Becky's, and, maybe for the first time, she had a genuinely pure smile on her face. 

"Thanks, Barnes."

Becky hesitantly smiled back, her checks just slightly flushed. "C'mon, we should get to class."

For the first time, they walked together to class. Not talking, not even acknowledging each other. For plausible deniability, of course. But still, side by side. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> And if you have any interest in this becoming a series of one-shots about them, please let me know ;)


End file.
